This invention relates to automotive wheel covers, and more particularly to a wheel cover provided with a spinner assembly that rotates at a speed different from the rotating wheel.
Wheel covers and outer surfaces of the wheel are used for providing additional ornamentation to an automobile. For instance, many car wheels are provided with decorative nuts that may have a particular color or lighting capabilities to enhance the ornamental features. The nuts may have a contrasting color or illumination, which is highly visible against the background of an otherwise dark wheel assembly.
Many automobile enthusiasts mount special wheel cover assemblies that have weights secured thereon to prevent rotation of the wheel cover as the automobile wheel rotates. Such covers may have advertising indicia imprinted thereon or special graphics to distinguish the car and attract attention to the advertising. Other known devices use an air current for stabilizing the display portion of the disk of the wheel cover to retain the disk stationary and to allow the display of graphics on the disk. Still others provide illumination assemblies that are mounted on the side of the wheels to enhance the aesthetic effect of a rotating tire and make it highly visible during nighttime. Still other known modifications include the use of decorative attachments for the tire rims that are painted with reflective paint to enhance visibility of the automobile and provide an additional ornamental feature to the vehicle.
Most of the known devices are attached to the wheel to rotate at the same speed as the wheel while enhancing the decorative features of the wheel. The present invention contemplates provision of a wheel spinner assembly that is adapted for mounting on a conventional tire rim and is adapted for rotation at speeds and directions of rotation different from the speed and direction of rotation of the vehicle wheel.